Liverpool’s Interest in Sao Paulo’s Lucas Beraldo

Liverpool are reportedly plotting a potential January move for Sao Paulo defender, Lucas Beraldo. The Reds have already expressed interest in the Brazilian market with their reported pursuit of Andre Trindade from Fluminense.

The 19-year-old has become one of the hottest prospects on the continent of South America since breaking into the Sao Paulo side in 2022. This has led to a number of European clubs building an interest in the teenager, with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool reportedly one of those sides.

Today, we’re going to be taking a deeper look into why Liverpool could be interested in Beraldo.

Unveiling Lucas Beraldo

Lucas Beraldo is a 19-year-old center-back currently playing for Sao Paulo in the Brazilian first division. The teenager is a left-footed defender, which in recent years has become something of a luxury for top European sides.

Despite mostly being deployed as a central defender, Beraldo has also featured as a defensive midfielder and even as a left-back on a rare occasion. Beraldo has made 43 first-team appearances for Sao Paulo throughout 2023, scoring one goal in the process.

In total, the teenager has 48 senior appearances for the Brazilian side but has been impressive throughout this current spell in the team. His current contract at Sao Paulo is set to expire at the end of June 2026, with Transfermarkt currently valuing the youngster at approximately £5million.

However, the Sao Paulo president recently slapped a £20million evaluation on the youngster, which is certainly more in line with the current European market.

Liverpool’s Defensive Strategy

As we have seen with links to the likes of Goncalo Inacio and Lloyd Kelly in recent weeks, Liverpool seem keen to add a left-footed defender to their ranks. With Joel Matip’s current contract on Merseyside set to expire at the end of this season, defensive reinforcements are definitely needed.

The recent change in system, which sees the left-back almost play as a third center-back has almost undoubtedly contributed to that specification. Until last week’s victory over Brentford, Kostas Tsimikas’ woeful performances also would’ve undoubtedly made the Reds’ recruitment team raise serious questions over the depth in that position.

Therefore, Beraldo becomes a fairly suitable candidate for the role in Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Beraldo’s Fit in Klopp’s System

Despite not having the experience of the likes of Inacio and Kelly, there is certainly an argument to be made that Beraldo’s potential is higher. Beraldo’s style of play would certainly suit Jurgen Klopp’s style, with the teenager’s on-the-ball attributes being perfect for the English game.

The 19-year-old averages 73.85 completed passes per 90 minutes in the Brazilian league, with a success rate of 89.2%. Beraldo is also progressive with the ball at his feet, completing 5.85 progressive passes and 6.35 passes into the final third per 90 minutes.

However, his defending statistics aren’t quite as good as his progressive numbers, with just 1.10 tackles and 3.60 clearances per 90 minutes. Obviously, a team like Sao Paulo aren’t challenged too often in the defensive areas due to their high possession numbers on a weekly basis.

Evaluating the Potential Transfer

Overall, I think this could be a magnificent piece of business by Liverpool but only for the right price. With no international experience, even at youth level, I find it hard to justify spending £20million on the youngster.

Especially when much more experienced talents like Goncalo Inacio are potentially available for around £45million. If the Reds could strike a deal around the £10million mark for the Brazilian, then I think this could be a brilliant piece of business.